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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23962987">Your clothes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamastarss/pseuds/yamastarss'>yamastarss</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Denial of Feelings, Genderfluid Kozume Kenma, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Pre-Time Skip, because I'm the author and I do what I want</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:09:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,175</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23962987</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamastarss/pseuds/yamastarss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>Since the beginning, Kuroo has always been willing to give the shirt off his back for Kenma... literally.</em>
    <br/>
  </p>
</blockquote>The story of how Kenma "steals" Kuroo's coat after one fateful night and how it changed their relationship forever. Inspired by <a href="https://twitter.com/horodraws/status/1256405315991605254"><em>horodraws</em>'s fanart</a> on Twitter!
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Rinse, wash, repeat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>WOW I haven’t written a fanfic piece in a hot minute! It’s a good feeling to come back to, especially since I’m a STEM in college and haven’t had an opportunity to do any creative writing :)</p><p>Also! In this piece, although not explicitly stated, Kenma is genderfluid and uses they/them pronouns. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>Kenma feels a warm, unfamiliar fabric envelop their body. They flinch and open their eyes in surprise as Kuroo wraps the coat from behind them and nuzzles their shoulder, pulling them into a tight hug.</em>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW: description of a panic attack (starts at <em>It has been years since it last happened</em> and ends at <em>"How are you feeling?”</em>)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since the beginning, Kuroo has always been willing to give the shirt off his back for Kenma... literally. If Kenma got their clothes dirty while playing outside, Kuroo always had an extra set for them to borrow. If Kenma forgot to bring a jacket when they went out, Kuroo always loaned them his. Kenma tried refusing on more than one occasion, but every time Kuroo shook them off by saying "Just bring it back the next time you come over".</p><p>At one point (neither of them really remember when), Kenma stopped bothering bringing their own clothes when they slept over altogether. "It's a pain bringing an extra backpack", they grumbled under their breath when their friend called them out on it. Kuroo laughed, but didn’t say anything beyond that.</p><p>Over time, Kenma stopped giving Kuroo's clothes back right away. <em>It doesn’t matter anyways</em>, they reason, <em>because I'll just wear the clothes I borrowed the next time I go over and return them then.</em> It became a cycle: Kenma shows up at Kuroo’s house with clothes they borrowed, give them back, borrow a different set of clothes, sleep over, and take the new outfit home. Rinse, wash, repeat. Kuroo stopped offering and Kenma doesn’t even ask.</p><p>When Kenma begins attending Nekoma High School, they join the school’s volleyball team to keep Kuroo company (it's their “thing”, so the idea of not following Kuroo to Nekoma didn’t even cross their mind), but the really awful way they're treated by the third years is something else. Even though Kenma comes off as detached, they care deeply about what others think of them. Even though they have never cared about their own seniority, they quietly sought the approval of those above them.</p><p>It doesn't help that the volleyball team is full of really intense people, which is incredibly draining for Kenma to be around on a regular basis. It didn’t take long before they feel like they've hit a breaking point.</p><p>“Don’t quit,” Kuroo says softly yet firmly after a particularly brutal practice match in which the third years scolded Kenma for ‘never doing anything’, “You have sharp observation skills and take directions perfectly. The first and second-years know you're awesome. You will definitely make our team strong.” The way he says it comes off more like a statement than a request, and even though Kenma can feel the sincerity of his words, it doesn’t stop their mind from reeling with self-doubt and deprecation.</p><p>Together, they quietly commute home after that. Kenma refuses to make eye contact with Kuroo (not like it's hard since they're glued to their most recent video game). They don’t want him to see how hurt they still are, and they certainly didn’t want him to fuss about it. But of course Kuroo catches on and of course Kuroo worries; Kenma’s shoulders aren’t usually this tense and they usually don’t struggle so much bringing down low-level enemies. But Kuroo also knows that the last thing Kenma needs is a call-out.</p><p>As they approach their stop, Kenma grunts in frustration at their latest Game Over and quickly shove their game into their bag with a heavy sigh.</p><p>On the walk home from the station, Kenma’s eyes are fixed on the ground, unblinking. When they reach the point they usually go their separate ways, both friends stop. Kenma is visibly shaking and fiddling with their hands, breathing heavily as if they had just run several laps.</p><p>It has been years since it last happened, but Kuroo remembers what the start of a panic attack looks like on his best friend.</p><p>“Hey”, Kuroo says softly, “Why don’t you spend the night? I can help you with that Chemistry homework you were complaining about.”</p><p>Kenma’s breath remains shaky and their gaze stays down, but they manage a small nod. Kuroo’s place is only about a two minute walk from there, but Kenma starts taking quick steps, almost as if they're trying to run and hide without looking suspicious.</p><p>Thankfully, Kuroo’s dad isn’t home (as if they need permission for Kenma to sleep over anyways), and after taking off their shoes, Kenma makes a beeline for the older boy’s room. By the time Kuroo catches up, Kenma is rummaging through his drawer to find something to change into. They settle on a plain grey t-shirt and black basketball shorts, shoving their volleyball clothes unceremoniously into their gym bag before hastily pulling out several papers from their backpack.</p><p>“Kenma…”</p><p>“I’m fine.” Their voice cracks with the last word.</p><p>“Are you sure? You look—”</p><p>“I just really need to get my homework done.”</p><p>Tears silently spill down the smaller friend’s face, their eyes squeezed shut and hands shaking harder than before. They look miserable. Kuroo’s eyes dart around his room, looking for something, ANYTHING, that would help his best friend calm down. His eyes fall on his desk behind Kenma, where his hunter green military-style coat with a cream-colored fur collar is draped on the back of his desk chair. He walks over to it, Kenma still refusing to look at him, and picks it up.</p><p>Kenma feels a warm, unfamiliar fabric envelop their body. They flinch and open their eyes in surprise as Kuroo wraps the coat from behind them and nuzzles their shoulder, pulling them into a tight hug.</p><p>“It’s okay Kenma. I’m here. I’ve got you.”</p><p>Kenma wants to say something snarky in return or tease him for being so emotional. They want to shake him off and tell him that he's misunderstanding. They want to tell him that it wasn’t that big of a deal; that it was silly for them to be so upset about what some stupid third years said to them.</p><p>But they don’t.</p><p>There's no use trying to hide from Kuroo anymore, so they bury their face into the tough exterior of the coat and let themself cry. They also let their worries spill over; their doubts, their observations, their concerns, everything that's running through their mind. Kuroo just nods along, letting Kenma ramble even when he wholeheartedly disagrees with some of their statements. It gets to a point where the younger friend can’t form words anymore and just sobs. Kuroo just holds them tighter and frees his dominant hand to pet their long, black hair.</p><p>Kenma doesn’t flinch. In fact, as they start to calm down, they start leaning into his hand and eventually turn around to hide their face on Kuroo’s shoulder.</p><p>Kuroo waits for his best friend’s breath to even out, and then waits a few minutes after that. It isn’t until Kenma stirs underneath him that he lets go - leaving the coat draped over their shoulders - and crawls his way around to the other side of the table to carefully look over their slumped figure.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” he asks gently. Kenma hums pensively and sniffs.</p><p>“Hungry.”</p><p>Kuroo chuckles. “Alright, we don't have much in the house, but I can make some fried rice. Does that sound good to you?”</p><p>Kenma nods and Kuroo quietly excuses himself from the room, leaving the door slightly ajar in case Kenma feels like following (they don’t). Kenma instinctively slips the sleeves of the coat over their arms and hugs their knees to their chest. They take a deep breath, a part of them still trying to stay calm.</p><p>
  <em>Oh, he smells really nice.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for ending this chapter so abruptly; I’m a restless person (shoutout to my ADHD) and I basically wrote this in one sitting to get this piece out as close to KuroKen Day as I could, haha. Thanks for reading until the end! I’ll publish the next part after graduation in 2 weeks (I’m earning my Engineering degree, hooray!)</p><p>Pester me on Twitter! <a href="http://www.twitter.com/itsNationJoy">@itsNationJoy</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. You can't cheat in Animal Crossing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>In the years they’ve been friends, Kenma has never felt any attachment to any of Kuroo’s clothes before. They’re a thing of convenience. But for some reason this coat feels different. It’s as if Kuroo’s comforting aura has materialized into a warm, hunter green parka with beige fur lining that serves to envelop Kenma’s smaller frame and provide safety from any harm that could come their way.</em>
</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To those following my work, thank you for your patience! I have a college degree now, hooray! For those of you just joining me now, welcome! Glad you could be here!</p><p>A huge shutout to my beta readers <a href="https://twitter.com/neenswrites">Neens</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kodzukuro">Christy</a>. I'm so honored that veteran writers like them took a newbie like myself under their wing. Please check out their stuff and let them know what wonderful human beings they are!!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It doesn’t take long for Kuroo to come back with some relatively simple fried rice and a box of tissues. Kenma actually acknowledges the tall middle blocker with their gaze and mumbls some thanks, to which the taller boy responds with a small smile. Aside from stating “Itadakimasu” at the start of their meal, they eat in silence. Instead, Kuroo just radiates comfort and a sense of familiarity, which Kenma absorbs graciously since the alternative is facing the uncomfortable reality that Kenma’s emotions had bubbled over. It isn’t that Kenma is ashamed of their emotions, not really anyway. It's more like they are... unfamiliar with them since they have never felt a need to explore them.</p><p>After the duo finishes their meal and Kuroo cleans up, insisting that his friend not push themself (a request he doesn’t make very often, so Kenma takes it graciously), the raven-haired boy stays true to his word and helps the small setter with their Chemistry homework.</p><p>The whole time he swears that stoichiometry is <em> way </em> easier than Kenma is making it out to be, which earns him multiple glares and groans in return. Two miserable hours of Chemistry hell pass that included Kuroo unnecessarily reciting the systematic name of several compounds (“So just take the two dihydrogen monoxides and--” “Kuro, for the love of god, just call it water”) before Kenma finishes the accursed homework assignment. They quickly take to their phone and Kuroo shifts his attention to his own schoolwork.</p><p>Once again the long-time friends find themselves in familiar silence. It took years to get acquainted with it and several more to befriend it, but now it’s a part of them. It accompanies them everywhere — their train rides home, their late-night study sessions, their shared meals, even their hangouts outside of school — and they have grown to appreciate it. They no longer need words in order to feel like they’re connected, they just need each other’s presence. It’s a silence so comfortable that Kenma feels safe enough to slowly, subconsciously, shrink into the oversized coat that they're still wearing and allow themself to be enveloped in its comfort. </p><p>#</p><p>“Let me give you back your coat,” Kenma says the next morning as they finish packing up the last of their stuff. Kuroo responds with a boisterous laugh and a dismissive wave of his hand.</p><p>“Why are you making such a big deal about it?” he asks incredulously, “Just bring it back the next time you come over like always.”</p><p>“It’s too warm to wear right now,” they grumble, which elicits a snort from the perma-bedheaded.</p><p>“As if that has stopped you before,” he says sarcastically. “But seriously, you should know by now that all Kuroo-to-Kozume loans are strictly subsidized, so don’t even worry about it.”</p><p>Kenma rolls their eyes, “You and your big words. Do you even know what an intelligent conversation is supposed to sound like? It’s either that or you just don’t want anyone to talk to you.”</p><p>“Well you still talk to me, so I guess it’s fine.”</p><p>“It’s because my standards are not very high.”</p><p>“I beg to differ!”</p><p>“Okay let me rephrase: my standards <em> for you </em>are not very high.”</p><p>Kuroo nods with mock contemplation. “I count my blessings every day.” Kenma groans one last time before folding the coat over their forearm and sincerely bidding their best friend farewell.</p><p>It’s only a five-minute walk from Kuroo’s house to their own, but it’s plenty of time for Kenma to get into their own head. They reflect on the events of the previous night and their memory drifts to Kuroo’s arms wrapping around them from behind, the coat they were carrying placed methodically between the embrace.</p><p>Was that the first time Kuroo had ever hugged them? Kenma really values their personal space and Kuroo is always respectful of that, but they can’t remember ever making any particularly strong remarks against being touched so intimately. In fact, they don’t even know how they feel about physical affection because it just... doesn’t happen. Even people like Bokuto who have no issue tackle-hugging strangers keep their hands mostly to themselves when it comes to the small setter.</p><p><em>Kuro most likely has a hand in that</em>, Kenma thinks, and they can’t help but scrunch their nose at the realization.</p><p>But the sour expression on their face leaves as soon as it comes. Being hugged by Kuro was really nice, and it wasn’t just because of the vulnerable emotional state they were in. It definitely helped defuse the situation, but it couldn’t possibly end just there. But asking Kuroo to hug them like he did the night before just so they could sort out their feelings about it would be weird at best, masochistic at worst.</p><p>Kenma is still deep in thought when they get home and start changing into fresh clothes. They throw the t-shirt and basketball shorts into their hamper, but hesitate when it comes to the coat.</p><p>In the years they’ve been friends, Kenma has never felt any attachment to any of Kuroo’s clothes before. They’re a thing of convenience. But for some reason this coat feels different. It’s as if Kuroo’s comforting aura has materialized into a warm, hunter green parka with beige fur lining that serves to envelop Kenma’s smaller frame and provide safety from any harm that could come their way.</p><p>Kenma quickly shakes that thought out of their head. They can already hear all of the obnoxious jabs that Kuroo would make if he even caught a whiff that Kenma was thinking anything so mushy. They would never hear the end of it.</p><p>Still, after switching into their own clothes, Kenma slips the oversized coat back on.</p><p><em>This probably can’t go into a washing machine anyways</em>, they reason as they hug the flaps of the coat to their chest, <em>and I’m not about to spend money to dry clean it, so this will have to do</em>.</p><p>And as promised, Kenma returns with the borrowed outfit the next time they visit the Kuroo household. Then, as per routine, Kenma changes into a fresh set of their best friend’s clothes, all way too big for them. However, this time, the coat is unconventionally made a piece of their outfit once again.</p><p>This becomes the new clothes-borrowing norm: Kenma arrives at their oldest friend’s house with an old outfit and the coat, change the base pieces, spend the night, and then take the parka home again.</p><p>“You know, I can just buy you your own coat,” Kuroo remarks smugly. It's the fifth time he witnesses his best friend reach for the parka after changing into new clothes.</p><p>“Why bother?” Kenma asks nonchalantly as they slip the sleeves over their arms, “Do you want it back that badly?”</p><p>“I mean, not really,” he says somewhat sheepishly, which causes Kenma to raise an eyebrow.</p><p>“Then spending the extra money would be a waste,” they say with a shrug, adjusting the collar so that the fur didn’t crane their neck.</p><p>“I should have guessed that would be the response from the neighborhood penny-pincher,” Kuroo teases as he rests his elbow on Kenma’s shoulder and leans his weight onto it. Kenma huffs, not just as a retort to his comment, but because this is the first time since <em>the incident </em>that Kuroo has deliberately made a move on them, even if much less intimate than before. But the taller boy pulls away before Kenma can make anything out of it, shaking his head and flashing that famous lopsided grin of his.</p><p>Kenma is used to high fives after a good play and the occasional teasing nudge, but nothing that keeps them in contact for more than a second at a time. What they aren’t used to is Kuroo slinging his arm over their shoulder as a greeting or Kuroo resting his chin on Kenma's head when they were on their phone, as if asking for attention. Kuroo keeps finding different moments throughout the next several months to touch them, even though they never come close to having another breakdown.</p><p>The first few times he does these things in public, Kenma flinches and hisses their best friend’s name in warning. They worry that Kuroo’s antics would be perceived as rambunctious and invite unwanted attention, but they quickly realize that no one actually paid any mind to their interactions. It isn’t like he flails his arms over his head and loudly calls their name while running full speed down the Nekoma hallways in an attempt to tackle them to the ground. So just like they come to appreciate their silence, they come to appreciate their best friend’s subtlety.</p><p>#</p><p>Kenma has been anticipating Animal Crossing: New Leaf for <em>years</em> and it is all they can think about in the month leading up to its release. They follow trailer drops and leaks religiously. They start brainstorming the different ways they would decorate their town and contribute to online forums discussing what mechanics from City Folk they hoped Nintendo would keep and who the best villagers are.</p><p>Kuroo, on the other hand, is not as invested in video games as Kenma is, but he would argue that he loves them just as much. In fact, Kuroo is the only person that Kenma feels comfortable enough to share all of their excitement over video game news with and the two enjoy discussing them thereafter. However, Kuroo seldom ends up buying the games that he and Kenma talk about for himself. Sometimes he’ll borrow a game from the setter after they were done with it, but most of the time he opts to just watch Kenma play the games they got. He swears that he is perfectly content living vicariously through them and that he got the same emotional release as playing the games himself.</p><p>“Plus,” Kuroo said the one time Kenma confronted him about it with a shrug, “You tend to finish the stories much faster than I do. I also just like watching you think and process everything that’s going on in the game. It’s like… it’s like I get to see how Nekoma’s brain works outside of volleyball.”</p><p>But Animal Crossing is one of the very few exceptions. While Kenma is still way more invested in the events leading up to New Leaf, Kuroo is just as excited to get his hands on his own copy. They are both looking forward to being able to visit each other’s towns and see each other’s progress.</p><p>Two summers ago, they had their annual E3 week-long sleepover at Kenma’s place. They stayed up late every night to watch the convention’s presentations live on the Kozume family desktop. The night Nintendo had their turn, the friends lost their minds when the new Animal Crossing logo appeared on the screen announcing the plans to release a new title in the franchise. Their celebration earned a swift scolding from Mrs. Kozume. </p><p>They both knew that they <em>had</em> to get their hands on the game as soon as it came out. Kuroo enthusiastically suggested that they go to the midnight premiere at their local video game store, but Kenma solemnly reminded him that they were both still middle schoolers and probably wouldn’t get either of their parents’ permission to go.</p><p>But as luck would have it, New Leaf was not to be released until Kenma was well into his second year of high school. In that time, a few other highly-anticipated games dropped that Kenma had wanted to get their hands (none of which caught Kuroo’s attention like Animal Crossing had), and every time Kenma asked their parents for permission to go to the midnight premiere, they were swiftly rejected.</p><p>That was until one early spring day in the middle of Kenma’s first year of high school. Mrs. Kozume had invited Kuroo over for dinner because his dad was working late that night, and the friends sat at the dining room table while Kenma’s mom finished stirring a pot of freshly-made stew. Kenma had asked if they could go to the midnight release of some fantasy RPG that was coming out, but their mom had denied them before they could even finish their sentence.</p><p>“What if I went with them?”</p><p>Kenma shot Kuroo a look as they snorted in slight disbelief. “I don’t need a babysitter, thank you very much”</p><p>“I can protect you from being trampled or kidnapped, or at least save you from getting lost,” Kuroo responded as if it was obvious.</p><p>“The video game store is literally four train stops away from here, I won’t get lost”</p><p>The raven-haired boy hummed pensively. “I bet you everything that as soon as you get your hands on that game, you’re going to stop paying attention to your surroundings and somehow end up on a bullet train to Sendai.”</p><p>Kenma flinched and looked away, a slight blush creeping across their face. “You’re exaggerating. I wouldn’t get lost for a stupid reason like that.”</p><p>“Yes you would.”</p><p>“No I wouldn’t.”</p><p>“Yes you would.”</p><p>“No I wouldn’t.”</p><p>“I think that’s a great idea,” Mrs. Kozume said, firmly interrupting the petty bickering and causing the two kids to sit up straight in attention. “Kenma, if you really want to go to that midnight video game thing, Tetssun will go with you. That’s my final answer.”</p><p>Kenma groaned in response as Kuroo saluted, a triumphant grin spread wide across his face.</p><p>“I won’t let you down, mom!”</p><p>But by now, even though Kuroo and Kenma had not attended nearly as many midnight premiers as they had spent nights at each other’s house, they had already created habits - one of them being that the older boy swings by Kenma’s place with the camping gear at about 7pm. Kuroo also made the habit of texting the semi-blonde when he leaves his house, so that by the time the Kozume household’s doorbell rings, Kenma is already putting their shoes on. Kuroo opens the unlocked door and his eyes quickly find his best friend below him.</p><p>“Hey! You ready to g— Is that my coat?” Kuroo can’t help his amusement. Kenma is wrapped in a familiar hunter green parka with a cream-colored fur collar that he hasn’t seen in almost a year (Kenma had no reason to wear it once it <em>actually</em> got too hot to wear outside).</p><p>“Of course not,” Kenma says matter-of-factly without turning their attention from their shoelaces. Kuroo guffaws.</p><p>“Right right, because at this point it’s as good as yours now,” he declares to deaf ears.</p><p>“We have to go,” Kenma says as they sling their backpack over their shoulder, “We don’t want to be so late that the line wraps around the building.” They both shout their goodbyes to Kenma’s parents before hustling to the train station.</p><p>It’s a chilly November night, so at least the coat is appropriate. Kuroo had opted for a plain red t-shirt tucked into his jeans, but he is not foolish enough to just ignore the weather forecast for that night, so he had packed extra blankets for later. </p><p>Kenma practically vibrates with excitement the entire commute to the store, but when they arrive, they scrunch their nose in obvious dissatisfaction. The line has not only turned the corner of the building once, but twice, which means that they had to set up near the wall opposite to the entrance.</p><p>“We should have gotten here earlier,” Kenma grumbles.</p><p>“Kenma, it’s a school night. You know that this is the earliest your parents would have let you come, so there’s no use complaining about it. If anything, we should be grateful that we actually get a spot near the building”</p><p>“Yeah but still…”</p><p>Most people that are already in line had only set up folding chairs, but the duo opts to bring a small two-person tent despite know they were only going to spend a few hours in it. Neither of them could ignore the fact that Kenma gets easily overwhelmed in crowds. It was Kuroo’s idea to buy the tent for their midnight premiers, saying that it could act like a barrier to the outside world, blocking intruding gazes and leaving them at peace (“Kind of like your hair!” “Leave my hair out of this”). However, the cheap tent they found on discount at a second-hand shop wasn’t big enough to also put chairs inside it, so Kuroo and Kenma bring foam squares and blankets instead to keep them relatively comfortable while sitting on the concrete ground.</p><p>As Kuroo finishes setting up, Kenma crawls into the tent and sits with their knees pressed against their chest on the middle of the floor. They rest their chin on one hand, the back one of their arms placed firmly on their knees while scrolling through their phone with their other hand. The raven-haired friend enters shortly thereafter, leaving the tent door slightly ajar so that they could both keep an eye out on the line outside. He sits on his side next to the makeshift blond, legs folded away from them and a hand placed on the floor behind his best friend for stability.</p><p>“We both know you’re going to cheat,” Kuroo says with a huff as he finishes getting comfortable. Kenma looks up at him in bitter confusion.</p><p>“What do you mean? You can’t cheat in Animal Crossing.”</p><p>“Yes you can, and you already have with both City Folk <em>and</em> Wild World. It’s called time skipping.”</p><p>Kenma stares at him for a moment before they roll their eyes and return their attention to their phone, realizing that this is one of Kuroo’s attempts at getting under their skin as a way to entertain himself and pass the time. “Time skipping is <em> not </em>cheating Kuro.”</p><p>“Uhh yeah it is! You’re subverting rules in order to obtain unfair advantages.”</p><p>“There ARE no rules to Animal Crossing and no right way to play the game,” Kenma retorts with a small edge of defensiveness to their voice, because even though they know that their best friend was trying to get under their skin, it didn’t stop his antics from not working. “Cheating would be something like installing a code so that turnip prices are always at a thousand bells or something, but you know I wouldn’t do that because it would ruin the fun of the grind. The time between construction projects is bound to pass anyways, and I’m not going to wait hours for something I can accomplish in a few minutes.”</p><p>“Well I’m going to play the game how it’s meant to be played.”</p><p>“Do what you want,” Kenma says dismissively.</p><p>Kuroo hums in response and rests his chin on Kenma’s shoulder, cushioned by the beige fur lining of the shared coat. Usually Kenma hates when someone looks over their shoulder, but they were used to Kuroo being nosey. Plus they knew that Kuroo teases more out of boredom than malice, so it was easy to dismiss.</p><p>“Any updates?” Kuroo asks in a low voice that tickles Kenma’s cheek. It was only then that they realized just how close Kuroo was, but for some reason they didn’t mind, so when they shake their head, they were careful not to move their shoulders so as to not disturb the middle blocker’s perched position.</p><p>“I don’t think there will be anything new until tomorrow, but by then it won’t really matter.”</p><p>Kuroo hums once again, and the feeling of the vibration so close to their neck causes Kenma’s entire body to shiver involuntarily. They notice how this caused Kuroo to stiffen up, and it only took Kenma a few heartbeats to realize that this was a clear indication that their best friend was conflicted between respecting Kenma’s personal bubble and wanting to close the space between them.</p><p>Kenma had already made their peace with Kuroo’s increased friendliness over the past year, but nothing had ever come close to be as intimate as the moment. In fact, Kuroo hadn’t pulled anything of the like since that fateful night, the coat they were currently wearing between them and his arms wrapped tightly around their smaller frame. Had they missed it? Perhaps even longed for it? </p><p>Kenma doesn’t dwell on it, but what they <em>can</em>discern was that Kuroo is being extremely awkward and they aren’t used to it anymore. This wasn’t the silence that they were so familiar with and had spent many, many nights with. This was an air that was completely alien to them, one permeating with awkwardness and unspoken words.</p><p>They hate it.</p><p>“Kuro,” Kenma says as if they had caught a toddler doing something they weren’t supposed to, “You’re being weird. Stop it.”</p><p>There is a moment of silence, and then Kuroo lets out a strangled laugh and withdraws his hand from behind Kenma’s back, scratching the back of his head with it.</p><p>“Stop what?” he asks in attempted innocence, “How am I being weird?”</p><p>Kenma lowers their phone and turns to look him in the eye. “You’re not very sneaky, you know.”</p><p>For what feels like an eternity, a few seconds pass without either of them moving. But eventually, it’s Kuroo who hangs his head in resignation, scooting away a few inches and crossing his legs while mumbling an apology.</p><p>Kenma lets out a heavy sigh in disappointment, but it isn’t directed at Kuroo, but rather at the situation itself. They just can’t shake this long-standing curiosity of how they feel about Kuroo’s touch. Maybe they wanted it to happen again, but how were they supposed to know? How would they even begin to ask? Maybe, just maybe this might be a good, controlled environment to scratch that particular itch. </p><p>So without permission or explanation, they take off the hunter green parka and toss it aside (it was getting too hot with Kuroo so close to them anyway) and just crawl onto Kuroo’s lap, sitting in the space between his crossed legs and leaning on his chest, head resting just below Kuroo’s chin.</p><p>It’s extremely uncomfortable; Kuroo is frozen stiff. It was like Kenma was trying to lean against a brick wall, but they are determined to show their best friend that they were not to be treated like so delicately and maybe, if they were lucky, their best friend would show them the same amount of tenderness as he had at Kenma’s most vulnerable moment.</p><p>Several never-ending seconds pass by to the point where Kenma thinks they had made a mistake, that they jumped the gun, and that Kuroo would reject them and push them further away than ever before, both physically and emotionally. They get ready to state their apologies and defend their actions, but then they feel Kuroo’s body start to relax, making Kenma involuntarily shift their weight against their captain in order to get comfortable. This invites Kuroo to place his body where he feels it best, and he wraps his arms around the setter's waist and rests his chin on the black roots of the setter’s hair. </p><p>The comfortable silence returns once again and Kenma’s fears melt away. They settle into their new position, limbs intertwined with Kuroo’s stable legs and protecting arms. Although Kenma knows that the familiar silence helps Kuroo and Kenma feel connected, there is something undeniably special about <em> actually </em> being connected like this. Touch… physical intimacy… up to this point Kenma would consider themselves acquainted with these, but maybe now they could start befriending them and exploring their relationship with their best friend. Maybe they’ll reach a point where they feel like sitting how they are right now is where they belonged this whole time.</p><p>Unconsciously, the two friends simultaneously sigh in content.</p><p><em>Oh,</em> Kenma thinks as they sink into Kuroo’s embrace, <em>he smells really nice. </em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Is camping out for a video game release even a thing in Japan? Ehh whatever, it’s all in the name of fun anyways. </p><p>Next chapter will be the grand finale! And as always, you are more than welcome to come yell at me on Twitter <a href="https://www.twitter.com/itsNationJoy">@itsNationJoy</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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